Thera 1.40: Vaddhamana
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(40):Vaddhamana Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =40. Vaḍḍhamāna= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Vesalī, in the family of a Licchavi (king)rāja, he became as a pious boy a servant to the Monk’s order. Later, after he had been initiated into monkhood, he also was subject to sloth and torpor, and was also aroused by the Lord(Buddha) with this verse : ---- 40 Sattiyā viya omaṭṭho ḍayhamāno'va matthake|| Bhavarāgappahānāya sato bhikkhu paribbaje' ti.|| || ---- 40 As one threatened by impending sword, As one whose hair and turban are aflame, So let the Monk, mindful and alert, Go forth, all lust of living1 left behind. ---- 1 Lit., of becoming. For satto read sato. ---- 1.4-1040 Commentary on the stanza of =Vaṭṭhamāna Thera= 10,1. The stanza starting with: Sattiyā viya omaṭṭho constitutes that of the venerable Thera Vaḍḍhamāna. What is the origin? It is said that this one also, having dome devoted service towards former Buddhas, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Tissa, ninety two aeons (kappa). ago from now and on having attained the age of intelligence, he saw the Blessed One Tissa wandering about for alms-food, became pious-minded, and offered (Him) good thoroughly-ripe mango fruits released from their twigs (vaṇṭato). On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world and accumulating meritorius deeds now and then, was reborn in the royal family of Licchavī in Vesāli, when this Buddha arose. His name was Vaḍḍhamāna. On having come of age, he became a donor full of pious faith (saddho), piety (pasanno), who took delight in giving charity, and attended on the clergy as a doer of deeds, (kārako). When such an offence (aparādha) as the act of upsetting of the begging bowl (pattanikkujjana-kamma) --- (an act equivalent to the present-day boycot) ---- had been caused by the Master to be done, he humbly apologised (khamāpetvā) the clergy as if the was treading on fire, had the act appropriately condoned (paṭippassambhetvā), became remorseful and entered the Order of monks. Having become a monk, however, he dwelt overwhelmed by sloth and drowsiness (thinamiddhābhihūto). In order to make him repent the Master uttered a stanza starting with “Sattiyā viya omaṭṭho.” 40. There, bhavarāgappahānāya is to be construed thus:– for the purpose of discarding the clinging (rāga) to existence (bhava), the clinging to physical form (rūpa), the clinging to the formless (arūpa). There is no such thing as the doing away with (pahāna) the external fetters (bahiddha saṃyojana) without having forsaken the internal fetters (ajjhattasaṃyojana), should it be so also (yadi pi); because of being without anything interevening (nānantarika), however, by saying about the doing away with the fetters belonging to the upper part (uddhambhāgiya), it amounts to but having said about the fetters belonging to the lower part also. Alernatively, since it might be possible that the fetters belonging to the upper part are difficult to be done away with for whoever noble Stream-winners (kesaṅ ci ariyānaṃ) after they had themselves also cut off all the fetters belonging to the lower part, therefore, in order to shown the self-same difficulty of discarding from the point of view of easy abandonment, the Blessed One spoke about the discarding of even all the fetters belonging to the upper part with the heading (sīsa) of the doing away with the clinging to existence (bhavarāga). Alernatively (vā), it has been said in this manner but by way of the propensity (ajjhāsaya) of the Thera. The rest is but in the manner as has been said. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vaḍḍhamāna is complete. The Commentary on the fourth Chapter has come to an end. ----